This or That
by Sagrada Familia
Summary: Modern AU. Mai is a magnet for politics. / Or, better said, Mai is caught in the middle when both Azula and Zuko run for the school election.


**This or That.**

He almost asked her out before she pushed him into the pool.

Mai had her suspicions, in fact, it was kind of obvious, Zuko was into her and she.. wasn't sure about her feelings for him.

She grabbed the nearest towel and took off to her house, leaving her flip flops behind.

What a way to finish summer vacations.

* * *

"You left this at my house yesterday." Azula drops carelessly the plastic bag onto the table. "No offense but what is your problem? Did my brother sexually harass you again?"

Mai rolls her eyes. "That's not funny."

Azula smirks. "If you say so..."

Ty Lee flops onto her seat happily, leaving her trail on top of the table. "I've been thinking about running for president."

"That's..." Azula thinks and finally says, "Ridiculous."

Ty Lee frowns.

"I'm running for president," Azula states. "And you can be my vice-president, that's more realistic."

Ty Lee sighs. "I guess."

"And you can be my secretary." Azula informs Mai.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Do you have anything better to do?"

"No."

"Then you're going to be it."

* * *

"I'm sorry for pushing you into the pool," Mai apologizes as she sits on his bed. The room is hot. She hates summer; sun burns, wanting to go to the bathroom every three seconds due to the tremendous amounts of water she has to take if she doesn't want to break out and Azula's pool parties. Gladly, it's already finishing. The only upside, she thinks, is when Zuko wears _that_ tank top.

Zuko smiles. "It's okay. I'm sorry for-"

"Can we not talk about it?" Mai asks, though it's more like a plea.

Zuko sits next to her. "This feels awkward."

"Because it is." Mai drops her head to his shoulder. "Your timing sucks. No offense."

"None taken."

They stay silent for a while.

"I've been thinking about running for school president."

Mai shifts her head and slowly raises her eyebrow.

"I mean, not really, but I feel like this is what would work with my father and all that... Look, I was wondering, if you wanted to be my-"

Mai interrupts, "I can't."

"Oh. I mean if it's-"

"It's not because of you," She corrects. "Azula's running too."

"Okay... I'm screwed."

"No, you're not." Mai pushes Zuko to the bed gently. "I'll help you... somehow."

Zuko positions her on top of him and she takes off her shirt. "This is helping," He says with a grin as she leans to kiss him.

* * *

Mai spends most of her morning at the library examining people.

She hides behind her English's class book and those prescription glasses her mother got her for reading she swore she was never going to use again.

But this was for a greater good.

The good of not being involved with _Azula being involved in school life_.

And helping Zuko too.

Mai stopped paying attention to who went to school anymore like two years ago. Today she remembers why.

No one is remotely interesting.

Procrastinating with school work makes her hungry, so ultimately Mai decides to go to the other side of school where the football field is. It is beyond her how any Athlete would want a vending machine near a 50 mile radius.

Benefiting from the fact that Zuko is at football practice right now he gives her two dollars, she forgot her wallet at home. She was waiting for the peanut M&Ms to fall out from their place when she smelled something that _definitely_ shouldn't be smelling at school.

It came from under the bleachers. So she figured the next best thing was to climb until the last step and pretend to enjoy football for the sake of finding out who was so stupid to smoke weed at school.

Yes, she was _that_ bored.

As she looked beneath the bleachers she came to the sudden realization that this kid, _this really moronic kid_ , was everything Azula wasn't.

This is the answer she's been waiting for.

* * *

"Mai, I know you want to see my dick but I really can't let you inside the locker room," Jet insists, his head only peeking from the door.

"Ugh." She frowns. "Just tell Zuko to hurry up."

"I'm just joking," He says with his famous smirk as he steps out, thankfully, fully clothed. "He's alone inside but I don't make myself responsible if a pair of balls that do not belong to him suddenly appear."

The moment she enters the room Mai already wants to leave. The air is thick and the windows are foggy. It reeks of Axe and dirty socks. Zuko is on the bench near his locker, she chooses to sit by his side.

"Hey," She greets him.

"Hey," He says softy while putting on his shirt.

"It smells awful in here," She comments. She moves her hand to his shoulder.

"It smelled alright until you walked in," He says in what is an attempt of a joke. She pushes him lightly. "So what are you doing here?"

She removes her hand from his shoulder and grips the board from the bench. "I know you want to run for presidency but we both know how reality works. Azula is going to do anything to win and I'm going to be forced to work with he-"

"She isn't forcing you," Zuko points out as he checks out the smell of his socks.

Mai deadpans.

"You're right. I take it back."

"Anyways," She continues, "I actually think you have a possibility to win."

"And what would that be?"

"Being relatable," Mai says it with such conviction, that Zuko thinks she's just being sarcastic in the first place. "I mean, isn't that why people like memes in the first place?"

"Well, yeah." Zuko makes a thoughtful face, he probably started thinking about memes. "But there is a problem, I'm not relatable at all."

"I know-"

"Thanks."

"-and there isn't a problem with that."

Now he is confused.

"I need to show you something." Mai sighs. "Just follow me under the bleachers."

"Now you're just being kinky."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Are you serious right now?"

Mai is getting annoyed. "Zuko, you're not stupid, why can't you just figure it out."

"I'm trying!" He exclaims. "But you're kind of scaring me! I mean, first you mention memes, then being relatable unironically and now this?!"

"You know I wouldn't have mentioned all of that in the first place if I wasn't doing this for you."

Zuko smiles. Mai turns her head to hide her blush. She wishes she hadn't say that because now she can't pretend it isn't true.

This is embarrassing.

"So.. This kid..." He leans on the support of the bleachers. "Is he supposed to help me win?"

"The kid" as Zuko calls him, is no older than 16 years old, just one year younger than her and two from him but in school years that's practically an eternity. He is surrounded by people who are listening to him. At first glance he looks like some kind of self-proclaimed messiah.

"I know him, he goes in my biology class. He's... not that smart and always smells like weed, but he knows a lot of people, _a lot_ , and at the end of the day aren't elections just a popularity contest?" She questions.

"I guess..." Zuko scratches the back of his head. "But do you think he'll do it?"

"The only way you'll know is if you ask him," Mai says nonchalantly.

Zuko gulps. "…What's his name?"

"Aang."

* * *

"I need to talk to you!" Zuko shouted in Mai's ear, hoping it was enough to intercept the music.

"I'm in the middle of something."

Zuko raises an eyebrow. "No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am. I'm hiding. Azula wants me to dance with her," Mai insists as she puts out her cigarette on the metal handle of the bench.

"You're in plain sight. It took me 2 seconds to find you."

"Azula knows I hide from her, so she searches in places I could _hide_ ," She states it as if it were obvious. She stands up and grabs his hand. "Let's go hide in your room."

"If you wanted to do _that_ you could have asked me," Zuko says with a smirk, he follows her behind.

Mai frowns. "I know, that's why I didn't ask you."

After Zuko pulls out a bottle of _extremely_ cheap but highly effective wine under his mattress the whole asking ordeal get shredded into pieces of clothing scattered around the room. When they finish Mai feels a hint of remorse that she usually experiences, but she quickly brushes it off as internalized misogyny. It's easier.

"So what did you want tell me?" Mai straps on her heels and adds, "I suppose you wanted to tell me something."

"I don't have a chance at winning," Zuko says casually and props himself on one elbow. "I talked to him, he was... something, alright. And he was also down to do it, muttered some yoga stuff, you know he's got that vibe going on-"

"Just cut to the chase."

"His girlfriend told me to fuck off afterwards, and that he needs to focus on school."

Mai sighs and runs a hand to her forehead. "Why can't you tell me this when I'm not drunk? I can't think of anything right now other than barfing."

"I guess it's over." Zuko shrugs. "Never had a chance anyways."

"It's not true, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered." She lays next to him, he wraps his arms around her. "I'll think of something tomorrow after my hangover is done."

* * *

Katara's surprised face quickly turns into a frown. "Don't you think it's creepy to stand like that behind people's lockers?"

Mai rolls her eyes and get closer, the girl is forced to step back. "Look, I'm just going to get right through it. I don't care if your boyfriend has shitty grades, nor do I care if you don't want him near Zuko, but I think you're really stupid to let this opportunity go."

"He's not my boyfriend," Katara corrects. Then frowns again, crosses her arms and says, "And you really think I haven't thought this trough? He is failing three classes, which is definitely more than what's allowed. He could win, but what happens if he doesn't? He would have lost time that could have been used for something else."

She begins to walk away but Mai follows her. "I get your point but you have to realize that this is something bigger than _us_ , and when I mean us I mean all of us involved."

She stops abruptly and faces Mai. "And what would that be?"

"Azula's running too."

Katara squints and realization dawns on her. "That's why you look familiar. You're her friend!" She pauses. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be on her side?"

"I kind of owe it to her brother," Mai's comes up with this as a better explanation rather than _I'm fucking her brother._

"I hate her."

"Everyone does." _Even I do sometimes._

"How do I know this isn't trap."

"I wouldn't risk my dignity trying to convince you if it wasn't for real," Mai admits.

"For some reason I believe that."

There is a moment of silence where they both stare at each other, trying to figure out one another, Mai definitely thinks this is harder than what she thought, until...

"I'll think about it," Katara says and leaves without another word.

* * *

Mai doesn't want to admit that she started caring about this situation, but she feels forced to when she finds herself laying in bed next to her phone waiting for Zuko to call her about the current status of his high school political career; or just waiting for him to call her period.

She doesn't recognize herself.

"I guess my work is done," Mai says after Zuko tells her that Aang _is_ going to be his VP.

"I-I..." He trails off, her heart beats faster, and there's a slight hesitance when he finally responds, "I guess. See you around, then." She expected a different answer.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Mai resist the urges to chuck her phone through the wall, she just sinks in her pillow and takes nap instead of dealing with her feelings.

* * *

"Do you think she's got a boob job?" Ty Lee whispers after gym class. She wraps her body in a towel, probably eliciting the same comment she's making right now from other girls. "She looks great."

"Good for her," Mai comments dryly.

Azula appears in just a towel and waves a hand in front of them.

"Sadly, we can see you," Mai jokes. Kind of.

"Very funny," Azula snarls. "I need strategy. I want to know who's running too."

"I can do that," Ty Lee says as she untangles the cord in her hair dryer, "I'll Find out who's also running."

Azula smirks. Ty Lee is the biggest psychopath the school has, so much to the point many girls in her detention group began to pay her so she could find out if their boyfriends were cheating on them. She knew their fate by just checking Facebook and Instagram.

Mai, as always, burst their bubbles.

"That won't be necessary." Mai closes the locker and slides her gym bag over her shoulder. "Zuko's running."

The bell announces her math class is about start, Azula doesn't have time to question her.

* * *

"How did you even know?" Azula mentions casually the next afternoon at the library.

There's some reluctance in her question, Mai knows that Azula theoretically shouldn't be asking this. She shouldn't feel threatened about her brother. She's in honor roll, Zuko is barely passing his math class.

"I'm surprised you didn't, it isn't such a big town." Mai catches a short glimpse of her furrowed brow after having finished the page she was reading.

"I don't care about the town, I care about you knowing and not mentioning it whenever I talked about campaign."

Mai rests her book on the table. She comes up with a lie. Quick. Effective. "He told me at one of your stupid parties when he was drunk. I was drunk too. And high. You can't expect me to remember that, I was barely listening to him."

"Next time, try not to drink like a bitch," Azula warns.

"I don't have enough money to drink like a bitch now anyway." She picks up her book and doesn't drops it until the bell announces her next class.

* * *

Zuko corners her at one of Azula's weekend parties, unlike all of their late night encounters, they don't have sex. He doesn't even try to kiss her.

"Wait... you are actually mad at me?" Mai questions him.

"No." He doesn't look at her.

She grabs his chin and forces him to look at her.

"Okay, yes, I am!" He steps back. "Azula won't stop yelling at me and dad said I was wasting my time!"

"It was going to happen either way."

"That's exactly the answer I needed," Zuko claims sarcastically.

"I'm sorry it isn't what you wanted to hear but it is the truth. The last thing I want from her is to not trust me."

"That would be smart of her..."

"So I haven't given you any reason to trust me?" She frowns.

"It's not that." Zuko rubs the bridge of his nose. "It's just... You can't go around playing it safe."

"Are you saying I should pick a side?"

He doesn't say anything. It's definitely what he means.

"Azula still is my friend, I'm just going to leave it at that."

* * *

Lunch time is the only time where she can't avoid making eye contact with Zuko, but somehow she did after she realized he doesn't even bother to look at her.

She missed the time where it was the other way round.

She observes him, she notices that he's not sitting with the football team anymore, he's sitting with Aang, and he is laughing with Aang.

His head begins to move and she turns her gaze elsewhere before he realizes she was staring.

Her sense of direction betrays her and she ends up looking at Katara, who was doing the same thing as her, who ended up looking at her too.

Their eye contact isn't awkward. Katara offers her a sympathetic barely visible smile and Mai realizes that they're in the same situation.

* * *

They're both high and contemplating the dirty pool as if it were the beach; crystal clear water, filled with confetti and used underwear from people they've never heard of.

"The maid is going to have a field day with this one," Azula says, accommodating herself in the beach chair.

Mai asks herself why is it that Azula is only bearable when she's not sober, but maybe she thinks the same way about her.

"I don't know why you keep throwing parties, is not like you even pay attention to them." Mai sighs and closes her eyes.

"Why do you bother asking when you know the answer?"

"You're right," Mai admits. Azula may be some kind of deity to the school but she has to reassure them every single second.

Mai wonders when was the exact time when their friendship turned into an unspoken deal to not be alone. The truth is that without each other they'll be forced to change, it is just too late for change.

"I remember when I threw you into the pool with Zuko." Azula smirks. "That was hilarious."

"I remember that day," Mai drones, "My mom grounded me because I got her floor dirty with mud. It took everything I had to not push you back into the pool because it would probably have meant getting two weeks without dessert instead."

"It was a smart decision, I would have probably kicked you in the stomach afterwards," Azula says casually. "Zuko cried because he thought he hurt you."

"I'm pretty sure Zuko was the only sane kid in our group. But then again, he wasn't really part of our group."

"We were too good for boys... We still are."

 _You are_ , Mai thinks as she observes the light from Zuko's room go off.

* * *

Mai and Katara cross paths in a lonely girl's bathroom near the chemistry lab.

"Hey," Katara greets, as she fills her hands with dispenser soap.

"Hey." Mai does the same.

Her hands make contact with the water and Katara can't stop glancing at her. This is starting to get creepy.

Mai turns to the door and Katara grabs her shoulder. "Wait!"

She turns around slowly and raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to talk.

"I know you're probably late for class and that you probably don't like to talk much, I mean, I'm just making assumptions." She holds her hands up defensively. "But, I also know that you're probably the only one that understands what I'm going through right now because it's happening to you too. And as much as you try to hide it, it just took me that glance in the cafeteria to know it."

"What? You talk too fast."

She cuts right through the chase. "Do you feel like what you did was right? Letting them do their thing? I know it is right for them but I feel like I'm setting up Aang for failure, meanwhile being pushed away from him."

"Look, at the end of the day, we have no part on their decisions," Mai replies coolly. "And knowing Zuko, he would have gotten out of his way to do it anyways."

"That's a depressing way to put it."

"But it is the truth." Mai slings the other backpack strap over her arm. "There are some things you just aren't in control with."

* * *

Today is the first debate and Mai is thankful that no one cares about secretaries. She sits in the bleachers as another crowd member.

Azula is glowing, she does every day –thanks to her 30 minutes routine that Mai bothered to learn one day when they just woke up from a sleepover, she was bored and ran out of cigarettes, Azula practically stole it from Ty Lee- but today is like a beacon from heaven (or hell, realistically speaking) shot through the gym's window and was made specifically just to illuminate her.

Mai knows that deep inside Azula hates being here at this moment, but any sign that shows her she's the best is enough to make her stay.

However, Zuko, _he_ _loves it_. It's everywhere in him. His voice is more fluid and firmer, he doesn't hunch his back anymore and he looks blissful, by their own definition.

Who knew out of all the things in the world politics would be to one to make someone happy?

* * *

There's nothing that screams _Rich Kids!_ louder than just an hour after finishing school getting intoxicated in an island.

But celebrations are meant to be big, even if the people don't know what they're celebrating for.

Even if she did win, Azula isn't celebrating, she just put out as a way to coax more votes out of people; Zuko celebrates the fact that he didn't finish last in the debate. They made it another round. Family sticks together by fate despite wanting to rip each other apart.

Mai thinks of Tom-Tom and wonders if in a near future their relationship would be like this. She hopes that by the time their parents strip away all of his innocence and emotions she is long gone from this town.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a tall figure carrying two drinks blocking her view to the beach.

"I managed to snag the last remaining's of free alcohol possible. At least I think it was free." Zuko hands her a red cup.

"Is this supposed to be a peace offering?" Mai looks down then looks back at him.

"I don't want to fight and if I'm being drunkenly honest, I miss you."

"You're so suave, Zuko." Mai accepts his cup and takes sip. Making a sour face she gives it back to him. "You can take it back, it sucks, but I accept your apologies."

Zuko sits next to her and pour her drink into his. "So, what did you think? About the debate?"

"You're too honest. I don't want to compare but Azula definitely wouldn't have won today if she said even half the truth."

"So you're saying I should lie?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, if you say it convincingly enough even you might start believing it."

"This is everything I'm-"

"You're against for, I know," Mai tells him, she knows him way too much at this point. "But this is how politics work. My dad is a lawyer, he says lying isn't breaking the law if it is for a greater good. His greater good is money but it still applies."

"I'm having a meeting on Wednesday, it's where Aang's friend works. I know you shouldn't be there but they won't say anything, they understand." He faces her and grabs her hand. "I just really want you to go, it'll make thing a lot easier."

Mai contemplates what could go wrong with sneaking behind Azula's back, the possibilities are endless so she just stop thinking altogether and says, "Okay," with a shrug, she slips her fingers between his, and, "but only if you have those gummy bears I like."

* * *

5 years ago, Mai wouldn't have caught Zuko dead in this place, hell, a year ago in his fitness phase he would have loved to blow out this place for promoting bad health.

A nasty burger joint was the last place she wanted to be right now, but there weren't other places to be anyway.

Maybe she could back down, it is never too late to send him a text telling him she had to babysit Tom-Tom last minute because her parents were crazy and-

"Hey, you're here." Zuko steps outside to greet her.

And she's too late now.

"There's a spy a behind you," They guy with the undercut says as he throws a basketball at Zuko who's entering the store.

Zuko catches it and throws it back. "Very funny." He holds the door for her and motions her to go inside. Mai clutches the strap of her bag tighter.

"Hey, you must be Mai." A girl with Auburn hair extends her hand to greet her. "I'm Suki."

"Hey." Mai shakes her hand. She doesn't know what to say. "...I like your top."

"Thanks! I made it myself. I like your skirt."

"Thanks... I got it at the mall, I think."

Mai finally remembers how difficult it is to meet people when sober.

Zuko gives her a little push and brings her closer to the table where everyone is sitting.

Despite greeting all of them, Mai only manages to remember Aang and Katara's name for logical reasons; she figures that she's not coming back here so she shouldn't feel guilty about not being able to remember the other people's name.

The day moved slower and by nighttime Mai was exhausted.

It's been forever since they've been alone like this, walking down streets in the dead of the night. Zuko is always more confident in the dark, she thinks whenever she catches a glimpse of his scar under a streetlamp.

"So..." Zuko puts his hands on his pockets and looks to the floor, while his mop of hair, that she insists he gets trimmed, hides his face. "What did you think? About the ideas..."

"What did _you_ think?"

"I..." He lingers for a bit, a smile forming on his face, "liked them. All of them."

"Then you should do it."

"But it's the complete opposite of what you said."

Mai halts and turns to look at him. "Does it really matter what I think?"

"Well, yes." He looks at her as if it were obvious. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought you there."

"But, Zuko, what's the point of not doing something you like, when the opportunity is right there in your hands? My opinion doesn't matter right now," Mai insists. "You could try to convince me all you want about winning and pleasing your father as your priorities, but the truth is that this is what you really like and I can see it in you face whenever you speak, or even _think_ about it. You can't let it get ruined because you might think it's not the best way to do it, when your way works just fine. You just have to work a lot harder than the rest, but it'll work." She smiles, bittersweetly. She has no place in his politics anymore and she guesses it's alright.

Zuko just stares at her, she wishes she could read his mind right now.

When he crashes his lips into hers, at first, it takes her by surprise, then, she just stops thinking altogether and sinks into his warmth.

It is different from any of their other kisses, Mai finally feels like she can reciprocate the passion that he was used to giving to her.

She still doesn't understand him though.

* * *

"You think I don't know what you're doing?"

Mai turns along with her desk chair. "My homework?" She raises an eyebrow.

Azula drops her gym bag to the floor and gracefully sits on Mai's bed. Her frown declared she wasn't happy. Mai would have been slightly worried if it weren't for the fact that Azula is always angry about _stuff_ , her outbursts are just routine by now.

"You're dating Zuko," She says, "and you haven't told me anything."

Mai raises her eyebrows slightly. "We're not dating."

"But you're with him, right?" Azula examines her nails then throws her a sharp look. "I'm not stupid." _Unlike all of you,_ was the phrase Mai was sure Azula forgot to add.

"Well, we're close enough to know that if he kisses someone else we're done." Mai is already over the issue, but she's not brushing it off because she just _can't_. The moment Azula finds out about something it becomes an issue. She knows it is an special kind of issue because she bothered to cross the street, enter her family's property and come inside her room, even if it was just to make it about herself.

Azula ponders. "I guess I could stay and reprimand you for your disgusting taste in men-"

"He has your genetics too."

"I'll ignore that- Or, we could..." Azula scratches her chin.

There it goes, she's going to say it. There's no turning back.

"...Use it to our advantage and win the elections."

There it is.

"Well," Mai begins, "I know a few things."

There it was. Mai should hate herself for it.

* * *

Mai is not even running for the elections, and somehow she's beginning to thinks she should have, because _where?_ _Where_ would these people be if it weren't for her?

She doesn't know what to do anymore, elections are in three days.

She knows her life is going downhill if some stupid high school election is giving her a mental breakdown.

The morning from that third day Mai wakes up with a fever.

Her ballot was blank and all because she decided to apply foundation paler than her skin tone and heat her forehead with a blow-dryer.

Her mother never suspected a thing.

* * *

Alone. Mai finally was alone.

Three weeks of constant squeaking from Ty Lee, judging from Azula, and Zuko... just being Zuko, all gone.

She was alone. At her house.

And... she doesn't know what to do now.

She could smoke a blunt by herself in the living room, she could finally watch that Netflix movie she'd been eyeing for a while, or, even better, she could mark the walls with ugly drawing and blame it on Tom-Tom.

The possibilities were endless.

* * *

Zuko's call woke her up from her nap.

" _Mai, I... I won._ "

Mai just thoroughly blinked, she didn't know what to say.

" _Hello... are you there?_ "

"You did?" Mai asks in shock. "You... won?"

Mai starts laughing, then she starts crying.

" _Mai... are you okay?_ "

"What does it seem like?! _You asshole!_ " She hangs up.

Over. It was finally _over_.

 **Fin.**

* * *

A/N: This was on my drafts but I decided to upload it anyway. I had a more extensive ending thought out, showing the consequences of Mai's indecision on where her loyalties laid on but I didn't write it, instead, I left it as an open ending; you could either interpret it as Mai choosing Zuko over Azula, or Mai choosing neither and ending all the suffering that family have over her, your choice.


End file.
